Direction-indicator for motor-vehicles.



t. JOHNSON & W, E. BYBEE. DlRECTiON mmcmon on MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLHJAHUNHLED NOV. 8, 1916.

1. ,252, 700. Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

(Hum/"tow E do HNSON UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ELMO JOHNSON AND WILLIAM E. BYBEE, F QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed November 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELMO JonNsoN and WILLIAM E. BYBEE, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements inDirection-Indicators for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification, refcrones being had to the accompanyingdraw- .0 in? I nhis invention relatesyto an improved di rection indicator for motorvehicles and has for its primary object to provide a very simple andeasily operated device which may, be readily mounted upon the windshieldof an automobile and operated from the steering post or other convenientpoint, whereby other motorists sand pedestrians may be advised of theoperators intentions relative to themovement of the vehicle.

It is another and more particular object of our invention to provide ahollow tube or arm and means for securely clamping the same at one ofits ends upon the frame of the windshield, an indicating arrow rotatablymounted upon the other end of said hollow arm and provided with a hollowbody ortion, a. flexible shaft extending throng thearm and operativelyconnected to the (arrow, said arrow body having a lens mounted therein,means for illuminating the arrow, and means on the steering post foractuating the flexible shaft. a

It is a further general object of our invention to provide a device forthe above purpose, which is exceedingly simple in its construction,strong and durable, and highly serviceable and'convenient for. thepurpose in view. r

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of arts tobe hereinafter more fully i describe claimed and illustrated in the 4Haccompanying drawing, in which, Figure 1 is a side elevatlon f our1mproved directionindicator, ShOWIDg the same "iapplied to the vehicle;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the indicator; and 8 is atop plan view of the clamp for mounting the device upon the windshieldframe. i

Referring 5o cates the body of the mbtqrwehiple and S thewindshield-frame which is in den-:1" a; the drawing, B indi-Specification of Letters Patent.

formed with the laterally projecting ears 9 Upon the opposite sides ofthe body 8 of the clamp, pro ecting at right angles to the ears;

of'this disk opposed metalrhg sections 22 Patented Jan. 8,1913.

Serial No. 130,233.

thereon in any usual or approved manner. Our improved directionindicator is applied to the frame of the windshield below the pivotaljoint between the upper and lower sections thereof, and includes atubular rod or arm 5 having one of its ends 'bent'a t right angles, asat 6, and its other end angularly bent, as at 7, in a direction at rightangles to the end fi of said arm. This end portion of the arm isremovably secured or held in a clamp consisting of a substantiallycylindrical body portion 8 which is longitudinally split along one sideand apertured to receive a clamping bolt 10.

9, a clamping arm is integrally formed, each of said clamping armshaving a curved end portion 12 projecting beyond one'end of the body 8and being provided'with a bolt re ceiving opening. A detachable clampingarm or plate 13 also having a curved end portion 14, isadapted to bearrangedjn.

opposed relation to each of the clamping arms 11, each of said plates 13being like-.

wise provided with an opening. Through the coinciding openings in theplates 11 and l3, clamping bolts 15 are disposed. These clamping bolts,as well as the bolt 10, are

of course provided with suitable uts threaded upon one of their ends.'The; curved portions 12 of the arms '11: are adapted for engagementupon one side o f the vertical portion of the windshield frame and thecorresponding ends of the plates 13 on the opposite side of the frame.By then tightening the bolts 12, the tubular arm 5 maybe securely heldin place upon thewind shield frame, said arm in turnbeing tightly,

clamped within the split body. 8.

In the upper open end of the vertical por-v;

tion 7of the arm 5, abushing 16 is secured by means of a set scr'eyv 17.A standard L is rotatably mounted in the bore of said Y bushing and isprovided upon its upper end with a. head plate 19 and. an annular flan"20, immediately below this head plate, whic rests upon the upper end ofthe bushing? 16.

A fiber disk 21 is secured to the under side a ofthe plate 19, and uponthe bottom face.

A fiber dishes isalso secured-upon the arm 7' below and in spacedrelation-tothe disk121 posts 'lre mounted in this disk atdianietricsilly oppositepoints.

Contact springs-25 are fixed u on the upper face of the disk by thesebin ing posts and bear at their free ends against the metal ringsections'22. The wires 26, connected in a suitable circuit, are extendedthrough the tubular arm li'and connected to th respective binding posts524:.

Upon the plate 19, a hollow sheet metal body 27 is secured, said bodybeing prefab ably of .semieelliptical form and having; a shect mctalcasing or housing 28 fixed to its bottom wall and depending therefrom,said casing inclosinp; the fiber disks 21 and ."23 find the circuitclosing means. Incneend of 'the'di ollow body 27, a large lens 29 issuitably secured, and a relatively small lens 80 if lil rewise securedin the other end of said ody- The point'tll of marrow is suitably fixedin the first named end of the body 27 in bisecting relation to the lens29, and & tailpiece 82 ofany. suitable form is secured to the oppositeend of the body 27., exte riorly thereof, and projects in a longitudinaldirection from the hamc. Within the body 27, a suitable socket 33 isfixed to the {10st thereof in which the incandescent amp 34 is disposed.Wires 35 extend from the lamp through coinciding openings in the plate19 and the disk 21 and are connected to the metal ring sections 22.

A metal tube 86 extends through the liol. low arm 5 and is suitablysecured-to the terminal of the end portm'n 6 of said mm .The other: endof this tube terminates within the vertically disposed portion 7 of thearm contiguous to the lower end of the 'stnndzud 18. A flexible shaft 37extends through the tube.3fi and hasone of itsends suitably securedWithin the bored lower end of the standard 18. This flexible shaftextends through the end 6 of the hollow arm and is mounted in 2;suitable bracket element: indicated at 38, which is fixed upon thesteering post P of the vehicle. The flexible shaft may be manuallyactuated by any desired means such, for instance, as a.

crank 39.

The inner end 01" the screw 17 which secures the bushing in the in perend of the hollow arm, is reduced an oosely engaged in an annular grooveindicated at 40, provided in the' periphery [0f the rotatable standard18. Thus, this set screw also effcctunlly "prevents upward verticalmovement of the indicating arrow with respect to the supporting mm.

From the foregoing description. taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction,,manner of operation and severaladvantages of my invention will be "clearly and fully understood. Whenthe circuit for the lamp 34js closed, said lemp will, of course. beillummatcdnnd the light rays will be dissenmmated through the lensMonroe 50 upon the arrow pnintf-lih and also through the lens 8% uponthe tail eanwhithe arrow. Thedriicr'of the vehicle, by tntina' the crank39, imports rotation to the etnndard 18 to which.tlie'tlenibleshaft-873s. in connected, and themh-y rotntesihe n'rroh' mounted uponthe arm 6. in a di1'cction'corresponding to the direction inm'hich heintends to turn the vehicle. The springs 25 maintaining; their contactwith the metal 7: conducting ri' rer nt any break in the illuminating ccuit for the indicating arrow. cimotorists or pedestrians may at once orin which 6' ==ction the approeching schiclekvill turn 1,, being than 6;.advise can nifoirl collision and possible injury. The drice {(S en'hoieconsists of relatively faw "x constructed-elements and, by the mountingfor L ily attached to sum) ole as bi post. iiv crating mm sired locationTe cle bcrl in,

While we "m endficscribed the preferred conntru'ctio raid arrangement ofthe several elementsgit io-to; -nnde rstocd that the device issiiseeptibi f consideb need at any .able modification therein and give,therefore,

reserve the miriiege legitimate chnn bodied within t described ourinvenclmce-nnrl secure by eluding a tubular arm n'rotntaole iilflltntincmember. a standard fixed to said membe: and rotnta'biy mountedin one endof the arm, a housing fixed to the indicating member end completelyclosing snid standnrd and the. upper end of the "ruhnlnr arm, and a.flexible oneraticp; shaft extending through'fthe tubular and directlyconnected to said standard.

2. A dieeciicr; indicator for motor ve- 11.6.

hicles including a tubular supporting arm. a rotatable indicating"member. :1 standard fixed to the base of said mombcu n bushing, securedint q impel end. of said arm with, in which- 1- to: for motor vehiclesin- 106 o'fi'the indicating momher and, rotatably mounted in saidbushing, In testimony whereof we hereunto affix a retaining screw havingthreaded engageour' signatures in the presence of two 'witment in thearm and the bushing, said standnesses. 1 11rd liming provided with acircumferential v ELMO JOHNSON. v a groove to receive the inner end ofthe screw, WILLIAM E. BYBEE.

and a flexible operating shaft extending. Witnesses: V through thetubular arm anddirectly con- JOHN MTLDEN,

nected at one of its ends to said standard. BERT J. GOODAPPLE.

